Can you recommend a good, safe toy that our golden could carry around with him? He never is without something in his mouth, and usually it's something we don't want him to have.

Retrievers were developed to carry items, and some of them take their jobs quite seriously. One of my retrievers, McKenzie, always greets me with a toy in her mouth – and sometimes three or four, all at once. She's very proud of her natural abilities, and she makes me laugh, so I like her skills, too.

When you're dealing with behavior as natural as this, the best thing to do is go with the flow. First, the fun part: shop therapy. Get a couple of durable plush pet toys to start with – some stores will even welcome your dog inside so he can choose his own. Many retrievers are "soft-mouthed" – they like to hold and carry toys, not destroy them. If yours is the kind to shred soft toys, there's a variety of others to try.

Get an open container for your dog's collection – I use a cheap milk crate – so the toys are always in reach. And let your dog know it's OK to take them out of there any time he pleases.

Practice retrieving games with your dog to interest him in his new toys, and encourage him to bring them to you by asking him to "go find" and then by leading him to the toy box. You can eventually make this game more challenging and fun by hiding the toys, or by asking for them by name, such as "football" or "rooster."

Once he knows he has toys of his own, you can teach him "Leave it" to protect your own stuff. With him sitting in front of you, hold a cookie in a closed fist and say, "Leave it." Keep your fist closed until he stops showing active interest and backs off. Then say "OK," open your fist, and let him have the treat. Your dog will soon learn that pawing, sniffing and whining will not get him a goodie, but leaving the treat alone when told to do so will eventually bring rewards.

Once he understands what's expected of him, tell him to "Leave it" when you see him looking at your things and then ask him to get one of his toys instead. If you find him with something he shouldn't have, take it without comment and send him for his toy. If you're consistent, he'll make the connection soon enough and will start carrying around his toys instead of your things.

– Gina Spadafori

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